Craigslist pot deal goes bad — dopey idea, DA says

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Jiahang Li allegedly called 911 to report being robbed of medical marijuana he was trying to sell, authorities say.

Jiahang Li placed an ad on Craigslist advertising medical marijuana for sale, but things quickly went to pot when he got robbed in San Carlos, authorities said.

It all began when Li, 34, of San Francisco agreed to meet someone who responded to his Craigslist ad, said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

The two agreed to meet Feb. 20, 2013 at the McDonald’s at 180 El Camino Real in San Carlos to complete the exchange, Wagstaffe said.

Li said he drove to the restaurant with two pounds of marijuana and met the man, who “proceeded to display a handgun and rob him” of his marijuana, his cell phone and his car, according to the San Mateo County sheriff’s office, which investigated the case. Li called 911 for help, authorities said.

Deputies found Li’s car abandoned a half-mile away with its engine running. Inside was less than a half-pound of marijuana, a digital scale and empty baggies, Wagstaffe said.

Li appeared in Superior Court in Redwood City to face drug charges on Tuesday, and a trial date was set for May. He is out of the joint on $20,000 bond. His defense is that he’s part of a medical-marijuana collective and thus immune from criminal liability, authorities said.